Reviewed onFriday January 29
Mezko’s gritty, synth-driven sound is well suited to the Newtown scene. Their tracks are ambitious, and while they pulled off many of the complicated dynamics onstage, there were a few moments where they seemed uncertain. Their new material seems to be heading in a more upbeat, danceable direction, which could give their set a new life in the future.
Despite having released only one album, Gold Class have built a solid reputation for live performance, and Newtown Social Club was packed out by the time they took the stage. For something that started out as a writing experiment between lead singer Adam Curley and guitarist Evan James Purdey, they are polished and confident. It’s You echoes of The Smiths and Joy Division, but has its own texture. If you pay attention to Curley’s lyrics, it’s clear this is an album about Australia – one with an anger that has largely been absent in music at the moment.
Songs like ‘The Soft Delay’ showcased what each band member brought to the stage – a mix of influences that give Gold Class a strangely modern-feeling take on alternative rock. There is also a conscious effort to stay away from the traditional straight white male content of older punk music – Curley has explained that he wants to ensure the space the band inhabits is queer and feminised.
‘Furlong’ built to a hypnotising guitar solo and one that could stand alone, but it was complemented well with Curley’s vocals. The closest that Gold Class have to a hit, ‘Life As A Gun’, was a suitably frenzied few minutes, and seemed to be the song they were most comfortable playing live.
There were a few lulls, but that’s to be expected for any band so new. Overall, it’s clear Gold Class have earned a dedicated fan base, and they’re only going to get better. Probably best to catch them now while they’re still considered underground, and boast about it later.
